Blog Posts

26October2018

Why Scoring your Tenant Satisfaction is Essential for Improving Services
Traditional surveying methods in RSLs allow only for basic analysis of the feedback information gathered, and so only basic decisions can be made from that information.
In this video you'll learn how to score your feedback to allow you to use it as a key performance indicator and benchmark against previous performance. You'll find out to use your housing survey data in new ways to trend the information over time and help you to make better decisions about your housing association and tenants.
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Welcome to episode 3 in our "Did You Know" video series.
This week we're going to look at adding an External URL to a Dashboard.
This is particularly useful for TV Dashboards displayed in your offices.
You could add a news feed, sports scores, or a page on your website. Anything with an HTTPS URL can be displayed in any way.
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Welcome to episode 2 in our "Did You Know" video series.
This week we're going to look at some different ways of adding chart types together to best effect.
This could be for showing performance against a target, or tracking two different metrics in one graph.
Take a few minutes to have a look at the video and learn what it has to offer. Who knows, you might find something that helps you achieve your objectives even easier.
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The first instalment in our new "Did You Know" video series, which looks at common features of Target Dashboard that often get overlooked. This episode looks at the One-Click Drilldown feature of the site, which allows you to analyse certain areas of your data in greater detail with just a few clicks.
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You’ve spent time on creating the most functional and informative dashboard you can, but why not make it beautiful too! Here are 5 easy ways to give your dashboards the WOW factor. These tips are functional too, as they make the data more varied and easy to read.
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Since 2008 Healthcare Associated Infections have been at the forefront of some of the greatest minds in Scottish Healthcare. This was instigated and spurred on by the introduction of the National Standards for Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) in March of that year. With the rise of the MRSA “superbug” being a media focus, coupled with a new strain of flu emerging every couple of years, there is increased pressure on hospitals and healthcare authorities to act on this.
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BIG DATA sounds scary. But it’s just DATA. Data is gathered by every organisation in the public sector every day. What’s important about BIG DATA is the ability to compare one DATASET to another to MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
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Target Dashboard are pleased to present to you a very special case study at a very special time of year. The client in question is a global logistics and distribution organisation with a highly seasonal workload. It delivers billions of parcels to billions of households around this time of year.
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The latest feature, hiding columns in drilldown data exploration, makes it easier to limit what's on screen to just the pertinent details, making it easier to analyse and understand, while eliminating unnecessary scrolling.
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Organisations often use surveys to collect crucial KPI information, such as customer satisfaction. However, the resulting data can be difficult to analyze and spot trends from, as the responses have to be organized in an understandable way. This article will show you how to use dashboard software to quickly get useful information from surveys.
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It is often difficult and time consuming for business managers to build their own KPI dashboards. In this quick guide, you will learn the 8 basic steps to consider when building KPI dashboards for your data.
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Google Analytics is an incredibly useful app for monitoring data about your website. However, if you want to analyse your web data against other KPIs, online dashboards let you analyse your data in more versatile, actionable ways.This article will give you tips on how to define KPIs from the mountain of data GA provides, and how external dashboards can increase the visibility of your information.
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Have you ever wanted to make it easier for managers to collaborate using KPIs, or motivate your salesforce by letting them see sales figures as they happen? Using a Big Screen KPI Display, you can do this easily. However, displaying KPIs on a large screen isn't the same as on a dashboard, as their purposes are different. This article will give you some great tips on displaying your data on a big screen, as well as a few inventive ideas for using big screen dashboards.
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In the past few weeks, I've had quite a few questions about the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT), and how the data collected from this can be used for reporting. This article provides a brief overview of the FFT, and how Target Dashboard can deal with and report on this important data to help decision-making in your healthcare organisation.
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Statistical Analysis is incredibly useful for KPI management, but it can be very hard to implement as you need knowledge and mathematical skills, which not everybody has. However, you can now instantly create statistical lines on your charts in Target Dashboard to get information quickly. This article will show you some useful statistics to implement, including averages and standard deviation.
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A great KPI dashboard offers information at a glance, but a lot of time is often needed to create and maintain dashboards to keep them fresh and meaningful. However, there are some charts which let you get actionable info from any kind of data, in many situations. This guide will show you 5 of the best charts for create maintenance-free dashboards
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While Dashboarding Software makes data management easier, people still need to monitor and update data every so often to ensure that information remains current and useful. However, dashboard providers are coming up with ways to automate dashboards and data for people. Here are a few things you should look out for when considering dashboards for your company.
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As more businesses are realizing the potential of data in decision making, you might be forgiven for thinking that this is only the domain of large companies with the time and resources to process and analyze their business data. However, small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are more than capable to taking advantage of the data; All you need is a little time a month and a plan of action. This article will show you how to do this.
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While having a well-designed business dashboard helps you find important information to make decisions, a great presentation lets you communicate this information to others. However, you don't have to create both from scratch, as a dashboard can be turned into a captivating presentation with little effort. This article will show you how.
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The accounting finance information which you are required to collect and submit can be invaluable in deciding on the next move in your business! By putting your numerical data into charts, a stream of numbers becomes a useful visual tool which you can use to spot important trends. Here are four types of charts which you can use to analyze your finance data.
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A yearly comparison chart lets managers predict what will happen in future, by comparing KPI data at the same point over a number of years. Creating a comparison chart in Target Dashboard is as easy as just a few clicks. Let us show you how.
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A sales dashboard can be a great tool for managing your sales KPIs, but only if it is designed with a specific purpose in mind. Sales metrics are more complex than ever before, and a great dashboard needs to display them in away which is actually useful to managers. This article will analyze an example of a well-designed sales dashboard, and show you why it can help improve performance.
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Percentages are often measured as KPIs, such as with Conversion Rates and Percentage Profit. However, there are some common mistakes when doing this that result in data being wrong, particularly when percentages are added together. Read on to learn how Target Dashboard makes it so that you'll never have to worry about this.
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Busy sales executives often do not have the time to analyse sales reports for their decision making. In this case, a sales scorecard is a great alternative, as it lets users take in a lot of information at a glance. Building one in Target Dashboard couldn't be easier, and this article will show you how!
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Do you run an online business service which gives clients access to data, such as a marketing or finance software? To show this data in a meaningful way, online services are increasingly outsourcing KPI data visualization to external providers. However, to ensure your clients have an excellent user experience, your choice of dashboard software should have 5 essential features. This article will show you what they are.
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When designing a KPI dashboard, it makes sense to consider the end user, and their need for actionable information at a glance. To ensure that your dashboard is effective for users, visual aids such as legends, colors and additional numbers can make your data much clearer to see and easier to absorb. This article will show you how.
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KPI Dashboards are designed to be understandable at a glance, using high-level data. However, many companies still make decisions using descriptive data, such as customer lists or project notes, which are not straightforward to chart. This article will show you 3 great ways to use descriptive and individual-level information in your dashboards.
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While KPI Dashboards allow you to manage your data effectively, they still need users to edit them to get different perspectives on their data. This delays analysis and decision-making. By introducing interactive elements to dashboards, users can instantly find the information they need. This article will show you 3 ways to create interactive dashboards.
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Measuring Marketing Success and ROI can be very hard - there can be many factors which contribute to a campaign's effectiveness which you can't control. However, using KPI reporting software, you can analyse the data you collect from your marketing efforts, helping you improve your marketing. This case study of a marketing dashboard will give you a starting point for finding the information you need.
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KPI Dashboards are brilliant tools for Project Managers - Metrics can be monitored from multiple projects, and decisions can be made quickly. But given the scope of the manager's duties, dashboards need to communicate important information as quickly as possible. Using red-amber=green indicators in your project management dashboard can do just this, and this article will show you how!
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Excel is great tool for managing your numerical data. But, when you need to visualize this data for decision making, it can be hard to get what you need with Excel. Using specialist dashboard software makes data visualization instead of excel saves you time and effort , and is a this article will show you why.
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Building a great report for your clients is essential. The way which you present your work to clients is as important as the work itself - if your clients don't understand what you've done, all your work becomes near-useless. This article will show you how you can create great client reports which show your value to your clients.
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A feature in Target Dashboard that is often overlooked is the Table Summary. We wanted to change this, and decided to give it an upgrade that would allow it to come into its full potential.
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Are you having trouble keeping track of your KPI targets as a business? Instead of viewing them as numbers, you can visualise them to immediately see their status, and make quicker decisions. This post will show you how.
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You CAN keep your cake and eat it too when it comes to gauges. Keep reading to find out how to successfully combine the snapshot of the gauge with the context and trend analysis of a traditional chart.
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KPI dashboards are used by all levels of employees in a company, including executives at the highest level of authority/ Executives have specific needs which they require from dashboards, and require quite complex information to do their jobs properly.This article gives you some great tips of designing a dashboard for executives, and how you can use them to create focused, impressive business tools.
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In KPI management, knowing when you measured your data is crucial to analysing it correctly. But even if you think you've measured the right date, your company's date system could mean that you compare the wrong values together. Read this post to learn what you need to know about three different business date standards, and how to avoid using the wrong data!
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Making your KPI charts 3d has long been seen as an easy method to make your data look great. However, 3d charts aren't necessarily better at actually showing useful information, and can hinder your presentation if used without thought. This article will show you why 3d shouldn't be used recklessly, and when you should use it in your dashboards.
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By splitting your KPI data into categories, you can see how your data is made up, and spot otherwise hidden trends. This article will show you how you can categorise your data and display it in an understandable and meaningful way.
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In the previous part of my guide on analysing surveys for KPI information, I showed you how to prepare your questionnaires so that computers could easily read them, and taught you the Customer Satisfaction Index. This post will show you how to calculate the Net Promoter Score for your customers, and visualise your KPI information in a dashboard using filters.
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Surveys are often used by companies to get useful KPI information. This response data is difficult to analyze and spot trends from, as the responses have to organized in an understandable way. This article is the first part of a guide to analyzing KPI surveys, and will show you how to use dashboard software to quickly get useful information from responses.
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In the final part of this quick guide, you will learn how to refine and add to your KPI dashboard to make it an effective decision making tool. This third installment will focus on refining your KPI charts and customising your dashboard for you users.
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In the first part of this guide to building a KPI dashboard, we concentrated on choosing KPIs and deciding on the layout of your dashboard. In this second part, I will give tips on choosing the right charts to visualise your KPIs, and fill this dashboard with meaningful information.
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It is often difficult and time consuming for business managers to build their own KPI dashboards. In the first of a three part guide, you will learn how to build your own KPI dashboards in 10 simple steps!
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Creating Dashboards is not simply a case of finding 'one size fits all'. Different Business functions measure different KPIs, and so they need dashboards suited to their department goals. This article will give you some useful tips for constructing dashboards for Sales, Human Resources and Marketing Departments.
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Column charts not only show KPI performance data accurately, but also allow managers to easily spot trends. However, a dashboard full of column charts can result in crucial data being overlooked. This post will show you 5 ways that column charts can be used to add not only clarity, but also variety to your management dashboards.
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Pie charts are one of, if not the most well-known and widespread of all charts. There is a tendency for pie charts to be used in dashboards not due to usefulness, but for familiarity and visual stimulation. This article will show you when to use a pie chart, and what they can do for your KPI dashboard.
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Being able to find trends in your Key Performance Indicator (KPI) data with KPI Management Software is all well and good, but doing so is only meaningful when you have the right KPIs. This article revisits the definition of KPIs, and gives tips on how to find the right KPIs for your company.
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1February2013

How to take back control of your KPI dashboards
While KPI dashboards have been criticised for a lack of substance, and reduced decision-making power,these problems stem from the lack of control managers have over their KPI dashboards. Emerging technologies can allow this control to be handed back, and this blog post will show you how they do this.
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I recently read a very informative article by American writer Alan R. Earls. Earls' article shows the opinions of various professionals regarding the problems of using business dashboards. However, I believe that these problems are largely due to misconceptions of their use. This post will therefore show you some ways which dashboard software can reduce these misconceptions.
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Dashboards usually contain mostly graphs, gauges and charts. These can be a little hard to get information from quickly by themselves, however. Adding numerical data to your charts can illuminate your dashboards to readers, and this post is here to show you three ways of doing this.
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With the amount of KPI data that is collected, Managers can find it hard to spot meaningful trends which require action. Trends can also be spotted too late, resulting in missed opportunities. In this post, I will show you four tips for making your dashboard charts easier to understand.
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With recent technological advances, business people need quick, convenient access to their KPIs. Dashboarding software such as Target Dashboard can achieve this need by outputting to multiple formats, but which do business people use? This post discusses three crucial business platforms, and why dashboard software must be accessible on them.
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The use of Gauges in KPI dashboard has often had a stigma of 'style over substance' attached to it. However gauges have unique attributes which can bring lot to the table. This post discusses the way different gauge types can be used to improve dashboards, with the correct use of course!
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When using dashboards, companies commonly gather numerical measurements, which are more often than not analysed to find trends. However, while one type of chart may clearly show trends, it may not be as effective at showing measures, and vice versa. This article will discuss which charts are best for showing measures and trends individually.
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Most people will take some data and build a single chart from this data. There are many time when this just not deliver what is required and is therefore ineffective. In this post I explain a simple technique that will make your dashboards more effective.
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Getting a KPI dashboard that displays key information to the right people makes an incredible difference to the operating efficiency of any business. However before getting to a great dashboard you need to have your data in shape, and then know what you can do with it.
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As online security standards have increased, businesses are increasingly moving their software into the cloud and therefore reducing their costs, maintenance and becoming more dynamic and quicker to react to change. Most in-house dashboard solutions are a complete management nightmare.....
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Scorecards are a very popular and powerful way to visualise the numerical values of your metrics. In this post I'm going to look at how to make, what I believe is, a perfect scorecard to fit onto your dashboards.
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When placing a chart or graph onto a dashboard of KPI's it is quite normal to be focused on the data, but the way it that you present your chart can have a significant impact on how well your dashboard communicates information.
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We have added a brand new gauge style that we hope that you will like. It's very similar to the information presented in a score card but provides a large
bold display taking up all of a dashboard items space.
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Pivoting data is one of the most feared data analysis techniques by
many corporate managers.In this post I'm going to try to explain the benefits of pivot tables
and how easy it is to make them.
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looking pie chart is easy but producing a pie chart that clearly communicates your data is a completely different matter. In this post I hope to help you build better pie charts for your KPI dashboards.
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Online dashboard software has risen rapidly and put, normally out of reach, Enterprise tools into the hands of smaller businesses. But which is best: the online dashboard software or a more traditional offline Enterprise application?
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Building a KPI Dashboard for a business or department is often a task where managers are unsure where they should start. They often jump straight into the visuals without considering some more important aspects and as result end up wasting a lot of time and having unsuccessful corporate dashboards.
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Dashboard reporting software ranges from simple Excel based systems to large and expensive enterprise systems. Most dashboarding software has at its core the ability to produce charts and other visual indicators which aim to communicate your numerical data in a clearer way. However, there are a several features that you should look out for over and above the basics which will, in time, make your implementation more successful.
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Pie charts are loved by people across the world. Along with a column chart they are the de facto standard chart for using in management reports and dashboards. But the truth is that pie charts and not very good at communicating the message that you want and there are better visualisation options.
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How to see trends more easily
If you have fluctuating data with large ranges then it can sometimes be hard to spot the underlying trend. Using a rolling average is a simple way of solving this. A rolling or moving average shows a figure that is an average of several of the previous values.
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Why You Should Avoid Line Charts!
When plotting KPIs the standard chart most managers tend to use is a line chart. Often their KPI reports stay with this chart simply because it was the default option.
Yes a line chart works fine and plots the values that you ask, but if you consider it in the context of a busy day when managers are scanning large amounts of information quickly then smaller trends become very easy to miss.
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How to show a second Y-axis
Sometimes when you create a chart with 2 KPI columns you find that the size of the values of the columns is very different the consequence of which is that the chart is hard to interpret. If this happens, you might find it useful to add a second Y axis to your chart.
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Create Slide Shows in 2 minutes
We have just launched our brand new slideshow /presentation module. This module allows you to take your performance charts and graphs and create an annotated slide show. This slide show can be automatic and self running or can be manually advanced.
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